Can eating mango lower your blood sugar?

Can eating mango lower your blood sugar? That is the question on researcher 's (and frankly, mine too) minds. A recent study by associate professor at Oklahoma State University, Dr. Edralin Lucas, Phd provides a small glimpse at the answer to this burning question.

20 obese (BMI > 30) subjects were chosen at random (11 women, 9 men) and given 100g (roughly 1/2 a mango) in freeze dried form once daily in addition to their normal diets daily for 12 weeks.  Body composition and other parameters such as blood sugar, blood pressure etc were measured before and after. Blood sugar levels at the conclusion of the study were significantly lower than baseline in all subjects.

Mangoes are high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and they sure are delicious.  Still trying to locate the original study to figure out what KIND of mangoes they used.

Does this mean you should run out and eat all the mangoes your belly can contain cause they are SO healthy for you? At 100-130 calories per 1 average sized mango, it's significantly higher in calorie than most fruits so go easy. Eat responsibly. With your hands!

Can eating Sweet Peppers help prevent Parkinsons Disease?

Can Sweet Peppers ward off Parkinsons disease? That's the question on the minds of researchers. A recent study has suggested that the fairly high levels of nicotine present in peppers are associated with a lower risk of developing parkinsons disease. The same inverse relationship was noted in smokers. Regular (daily) smokers have a generally lower risk of developing parkinsons disease. Peppers are in the same botanical family as tobacco. There are even studies that suggest that secondhand smoke may even reduce risk of parkinsons disease to some extent. The potentially protective effect of the peppers in the study was mainly in people who had little to no history of smoking. Clearly, more research is needed on this topic but its an intriguing theory.

Alternative Therapies #007: Cerasee

Momordica charantia. Cerasee, Cer-see. A wild plant indigenous to a few countries in the West Indies and Central America. It has been widely used as a tea for any number of complaints and ailments. Does the evidence backup our feelings about cerasee? Is it the wonder plant that we hope it is?

Studies dating back to the 1980's show that Cerasee has been shown to:

1) Improve glucose tolerance
2) Reduce hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) by up to 50%.
3) Improve insulin sensitivity to aid in breaking down and disposing of glucose.
4) Can help repair damaged pancreatic islet cells
5) Helps reduce lipid levels

Does this research mean you should ditch your diabetes pills and/or insulin and go brew some tea? No. Most of these studies have been done on rats. There are clinical trials in the works involving humans. Take everything with a grain of salt. Everything in moderation. With all due respect, go brew some tea! If you experience positive responses with blood sugar reduction and lipid lowering and can reduce your medications slowly? Fantastic.

As with everything, consult your doctor or health professional for all decisions involving your medical conditions.

A few studies:

Cerasee Research Study 1985

Cerasee Research Study 1990

Cerasee Research Study 2012 

Got Pain??

Heard of Prolotherapy?? A technique to treat tendinopathies involving injection of tendons or ligaments with a proliferant (mild irritant) substance like glucose to cause a local inflammatory response and trigger the wound healing cascade. The growth of new tendon/ligament tissue is then provoked. This does require training though.....

Honey, Its not just for your tea anymore.....

Alternative therapies are always a hot topic in my world. With wounds and wound healing being of the utmost importance for so many reasons, it behooves us to be at the cutting edge of whats new and "sexy". The new sexy today is HONEY! New Zealand & Australia are home to the Manuka bush, Leptospermum Scoparium is modified by the honeybee and has shown in several studies to have bactericidal & debriding properties. There has even been some buzz (no pun intended) with regards to its potential activity against MRSA, VRE and their band of evil merrymen. A product, Medihoney is currently on the market used as a pro-healing & tissue growth agent for wounds & ulcers etc. As with all alternative therapies, more research is needed......I'm excited. Are you?